Electronic sensors, methods, and systems for pipe benders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11958099-B2
Application number	US-202017098807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for determining an angle of a handle of a pipe bender includes a sensor configured to determine an orientation angle of the sensor and a display configured to display the orientation angle of the sensor. The apparatus further includes a housing configured to attach to the handle of the pipe bender. The sensor is within the housing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pipe bender comprising:
a bender head comprising an arcuate-shaped rocker;
a handle having first and second ends, the first end attached to the bender head and the second end being a free end;
at least one sensor configured to determine an orientation angle of the at least one sensor in or on the pipe bender; and
a display configured to display the orientation angle of the at least one sensor, wherein the display is located at or near the second end of the handle.

2. The pipe bender of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is located in or on the handle of the pipe bender.

3. The pipe bender of claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to display a number of anywhere from zero to ninety-nine indicative of a number of degrees of the orientation angle.

4. The pipe bender of claim 1 , further comprising an input component configured to receive an input indicative of a desired angle for bending a pipe.

5. The pipe bender of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor on or in the handle of the pipe bender and a second sensor attachable to a pipe being bent using the pipe bender.

6. The pipe bender of claim 1 , further comprising a housing configured to attach to the handle of the pipe bender, wherein the at least one sensor is within the housing.

7. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the housing is removably attachable to the handle of the pipe bender.

8. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the display is configured to visually indicate the orientation angle.

9. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the handle of the pipe bender is tubular, and further wherein the housing is cylindrical in shape and configured to fit within a hollow end of the handle of the pipe bender.

10. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the handle of the pipe bender is tubular, and further wherein the housing comprises an open tubular end having an opening that is greater in diameter than the handle of the pipe bender such that the open tubular end of the housing fits around an end of the handle of the pipe bender.

11. The pipe bender of claim 6 , further comprising a power source within the housing.

12. The pipe bender of claim 6 , comprising a processor within the housing that is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor receives first data indicative of the orientation angle from the at least one sensor and transmits second data indicative of the orientation angle to the display that is configured to visually indicate the orientation angle.

13. The pipe bender of claim 6 , comprising a processor within the housing that is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, and further comprising an input button operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a button press signal from the input button;
receive first data indicative of the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at a first time at which the button press signal is received; and
determine the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the first time based on the first data.

14. The pipe bender of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive second data indicative of the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at a second time;
determine the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the second time based on the second data; and
determine that the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the second time matches the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the first time.

15. The pipe bender of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the determination that the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the second time matches the orientation angle of the at least one sensor at the first time, transmit an output signal to a feedback device.

16. The pipe bender of claim 15 , wherein the feedback device comprises at least one of a vibration mechanism, a light, a speaker, the display, or a separate computing device configured to receive a wireless transmission.

17. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one sensor is an accelerometer configured to measure rotation about at least two axes;
the orientation angle is a first orientation angle indicating a first degree of rotation about a first axis parallel to a second axis of an arcuate-shaped surface of the bender head of the pipe bender;
the at least one sensor is further configured to determine a second orientation angle indicating a second degree of rotation about a third axis normal to the first axis and the second axis; and
the pipe bender further comprises a processor within the housing that is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor:
receives first data indicative of the second orientation angle from the at least one sensor;
determines that the second orientation angle exceeds a predetermined threshold angle; and
based on the determination that the second orientation angle exceeds the predetermined threshold angle, transmits an output signal to a feedback device.

18. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the at least one sensor is oriented within the housing to measure the orientation angle relative to gravity.

19. The pipe bender of claim 6 , further comprising a wireless transmitter in the housing configured to wirelessly transmit data representative of the orientation angle to a computing device.

20. The pipe bender of claim 6 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a global positioning system (GPS), or a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

21. An apparatus comprising:
a pipe bender comprising:
a bender head comprising an arcuate-shaped rocker; and
a handle having first and second ends, the first end attached to the bender head;

a first sensor attached to the handle of the pipe bender;
a second sensor attachable to a pipe; and
a processor configured to determine an angle to which the pipe is bent based on a first output from the first sensor and a second output from the second sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to communicate with the processor on or in the pipe bender through a wired or wireless connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, or both, are configured to communicate with a separate computing device via a wireless transmitter on or in the pipe bender.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to measure a first angle of tilt about a first axis and a second angle of tilt about a second axis normal to the first axis based on outputs from the first sensor and the second sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the first angle of tilt is output to a display as a bend angle, and further wherein the second angle of tilt is output to the display as a dogleg angle.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:
an electronic device on or in the pipe bender, wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate information wirelessly to a computing device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the electronic device further comprises at least one of a wireless transmitter, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a global positioning system (GPS), or a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

Assignees

• Ideal Ind

Inventors

• Fildes Trevor Don
• Keswani Sushil N
• Gladden Jordan Elliott
• Shoemaker Madison Rae
• Zantout Alan E

Classifications

• B21D7/14 Primary

  combined with measuring of bends or lengths · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04Q2209/47

  using RFID associated with sensors · CPC title

• H04Q2213/002

  Graphical representation · CPC title

• B21D7/063

  Pliers with forming dies · CPC title